Not What They All Expected
by Cloud Above the Moon
Summary: Katara's gone. She left him a lifetime ago. Now she has to help Zuko rebuild his place in the world, and her own.
1. Chapter 1

A/N – Alrighty, this is the start of another story! I finished this a while ago but then decided to upload it. I hope to get some positive reviews, and I know this chapter moves a bit fast, but if I'm going to write any more chapters to this, I'd like some feedback. Thank you all! And be sure to thank the heavens above that I don't own Avatar or any of the characters!

You can always hope to be somewhere else, but in the end, you'll always end up where you were meant to be.

Chapter 1 – Let's Have Fun.

The war has been over for three years now, and I finally found peace. My name is Katara. I'm seventeen now. I suppose I'm a master water bender, at least that's what Pakku says. I don't really think about it all that much. What I _do _think about is, well, Aang. Yeah, he's younger than me, sure. I love him, though. At least I used to. It really sucked you know? One minute, you're in love with who you think is the perfect guy, but then he turns around and stabs you in the heart. I remember it like it was yesterday. Yes, I know, that's how all stories sound, but it's true. It's as clear as day in my head, even though it's been a year since then.

_~Flashback…~_

I had just got back from a meeting with one of the Earth Kingdom generals a little earlier than I thought, and I had decided to visit Aang. Damn, what a mess up that was. While I was walking down the hallway to his room, I heard a little noise. It sounded like Toph, and I had wondered what she was doing there. She sounded like she was laughing. Even now, when I recall this whole thing, I get angry. I kept walking, and open the doors almost soundlessly, and my eyes widened in disbelief. Toph was lying on top of Aang, and they were making out heavily. I stood there with my eyes wide like a dummy. "Aang, what are you doing?" My voice sounded soft and hurt even to my own ears, and I want to hit myself remembering this.

Toph turned her blind eyes on me, and Aang sat there with his eyes locked on me, almost fearful, but there was no trace of regret in those gray eyes that I had once loved. I had felt so betrayed and so hurt. "Get this, Katara. I love Aang, and he loves me. More than you." Her voice made Azula sound like a bratty child rather than a ruthless warrior. I remember wanting to kill her the next second.

I stood there as Toph glared sightlessly at me. The rage and hate that pulsed through my body then were the only emotions I would allow. My eyes narrowed and I grew rigid. The power that I possessed could come in handy, and I thought to thank the Gods that I had this much. I knew the full moon wasn't out, but I didn't care. "K-Katara?" Aang's voice came out in a whisper as he saw the form that I was taking. I found I enjoyed the fear on their faces. Yes, that sounds really weird, I know, but how would you feel about your boyfriend of two years making out with one of your closest friends? Really, just think about it. I flipped back to the real world. "I'm sorry, Katara, I'm sorry!" Aang exclaimed.

Toph made a move to get up, the expression on her face as if she were going to deal with a small child. I almost laughed out loud, and then my hands rose in front of me in a familiar stance. I knew that my face looked angry. I could have been a fire bender for all I knew. I felt the blood that was pulsing through their bodies like moving water as my hands adjusted to controlling the blood. It was an awe-inspiring experience; knowing that you controlled someone's every action. The two of them froze, and I made Toph sit back down on the bed. Her eyes widened in fear for the first time ever since I had met her, and I allowed myself a mental maniacal grin. I could control her and Aang.

"Katara, please stop!" Aang cried, trying to strain against my power.

"I trusted you." Whoops, I've said that before. Damn Zuko… Anyway, I kept on going with the blood bending. They were totally under my control; I almost made Aang kill Toph in my fit of rage and betrayal, but in the end, I let them go. "I'm not coming back tonight." I said before walking out of the room with a chilling glare. I was so angry at them! It was almost suffocating. I locked the tears of grief that were threatening to fall from my eyes away in a part of my head that I would never open up again. I would not cry for that lowlife excuse for an Avatar. I am a warrior.

That night, I packed my things and left. I ended up somewhere I never thought I was going to be. I mean, really, why would he even let me stay there?

_~End Flashback…~_

I don't know where I would have gone besides here, even though it's nice and quiet most of the time. Most people respect me enough not to mess with me, and Zuko and Mai aren't that bad. They get a little annoying when they argue, though. I have the room next to him and Mai, and they were so loud when they yelled at each other, I actually have to leave my room to get any sleep at night. Speaking of night, you don't even want to know what _other _kinds of sounds I hear. I swear I'm scarred for life. Perverts… anyway, let's not go there, shall we? There are only a few people that I actually talk to in this huge palace. There's Iroh, who I have tea with usually everyday just to talk. He's really cool and funny, and I don't understand why Zuko ever wanted to not hang out with him. I have to say that Iroh has become like an uncle to me. There were days when I didn't think I could stand the aloneness that I felt, but Iroh was always there.

If you're wondering why I didn't want to go to the Southern Water Tribe, it's because there are so many things going on. I just want a simple life, one that you don't have to go in front of a billion different people that don't even know you for who you are, but idolize you anyway. I don't like all the complications of being royal, which is what Sokka is now. Since the end of the invasion, he's been living with Suki in the Southern Water Tribe. I think they're getting married soon, and I might have to make a trip down there. Hakoda, my dad, is now the chief of the Tribe. I'm considered the Princess of the Ice, which is pretty corny if you ask me. Yeah, so I really don't want to go down there unless I have to or visit my family. Don't get me wrong, I love the ice and the snow, but for now, I like this weather. Even if Zuko and Mai are annoying.

The whole of the public Fire Nation don't even know I'm here, and they are going to stay that way. The palace walls are crawling with guards and sentries to watch out for any intrusions. Oh! Spur of genius! I know what I'm going to do to get rid of all this boredom! The Painted Lady is going to make her appearance tonight in the Capitol City of the Fire Nation. I'm going to love this. I haven't done much water bending lately due to Zuko and his neurotic worry-wart-ness. Dang Zuko…. I really need to water bend. Ever since that day I broke up with Aang, I've had a major need to do some crazy water bending. And tonight is the full moon.

I walked out of my room and heard Mai and Zuko arguing again, but I ignored them as I made my way to the duck pond near the center of the palace. I needed to practice my bending if I was going to do this. The sight of the double doors excited me, and I had almost made it out when Iroh's old voice stopped me. "Katara, are you going to water bend?"

The old man was making his way down the hallway with his hands in his pockets. I smiled at him and nodded. "Do you mind if I watch you?"

I smiled again. "Yeah, sure. I don't mind." I waited until he had caught up with me and then we began walking.

"So why are you practicing your bending, young one?" Iroh asked, his expression calm and smiley.

I loved that old man. "I'm going to stretch out my muscles and then go out for a night on the town." I smirked as I said this, glancing Iroh's way.

"I suppose that Zuko does not know of your intentions." He smiled and opened the doors for us, letting me go through first. And they say that chivalry is dead. The duck pond was centered in a large garden at the center of the palace. I always like to go there when I'm angry or otherwise. It's calm and quiet—everything that palace isn't.

Iroh took a seat on the grass and folded his legs below himself as he sat down. I took my stance next to the pond, a bit nervous. "I haven't practiced in a long while, so I might be a bit rusty." I offered a smile his way, and he returned it.

"It is the same with all of us that are trapped within this palace." Iroh nodded for me to begin, and I turned to the water. I let the power I held re-awaken. I felt the water below me swirling to its own rhythm; contracting, expanding, and swirling. The control I forced upon it was so natural that the water instantly seemed to synch with my movements. It made the same noise as it always did when I bended, lifting the water up and moving in a graceful swirl. I went through the basic stances again with ease, gradually making my moves more complex. Soon I was spinning and moving with the water, and I was loving it.

I could feel every living being within the castle range. I could feel the blood pulsing through their veins. It was amazing. I began to wind down from all the moves, taking deep breaths and letting the water fall back into the pond with hardly a noise. I turned back to Iroh and bowed. I felt I could still improve, even if someone said I was amazing and a master at doing this. He started clapping. "You, Princess of the Ice, are quite a master of the art of water bending. I have not seen a greater master of the art in my lifetime." His face was composed and almost proud. I blushed and bowed again, gratified.

"Thank you, Iroh; your praise means a lot to me." I walked over to him and held my hand out. "Would you like to get some tea, Iroh?"

"Only if it is jasmine tea." I smiled and laughed, everyone knew that Iroh loved his jasmine tea. He took my hand and I helped him up, and we made our way tom the royal tea room, Iroh's favorite place. I wonder if I brought any of that red makeup with me… Maybe Tai Lee could scavenge some bright red stuff and the hat… I almost laughed out loud at the imagined face I had made up. It was Zuko the day he found out about my dressing up as the Painted Lady and cavorting about like there was no tomorrow. Oh, man did I need this! I looked at the window to see what time of day it was. I could still see the bright pink-orange sunset, but it was fading and the blue darkness of the night to come was just barely making its way into the world. "You are distracted, Katara."

I whipped my head upward, a totally clueless expression on my face. "Huh?" I blurted, feeling like an idiot. "Oh… yeah, I'm kinda anxious for tonight. I feel really antsy."

Iroh nodded. "Ah… I think that it might be wise to invite Zuko with you."

I almost choked on my tea. "Pardon me, Uncle, but I have to say I would not be able to leave this palace if Zuko knew what kind of shenanigans I want to do." Yes, I sometimes call Iroh uncle, but that's just because he asked me to. It took me a while to get used to calling him that on occasion, much less all the time. I still haven't mastered it.

Iroh seemed to take in my statement for a moment, nodding his head. "Yes, but Zuko has a lot on his plate as well, it would do him good to get out of this palace, and away from Mai, if you know what I mean by it." Oh, now I get it. Iroh wanted Zuko to get rid of some stress. Or a lot, I suppose that being Fire Lord really does take a toll on you. Mai doesn't help the situation much either.

I opened my mouth to say something, but then closed it and drank some tea, nodding. Zuko will be in on it too, then. I don't know how I'm going to get him to approve this; …wait, yes I do. "Wise words, uncle." I murmured, and then we both laughed.

We sat like that for a while until Iroh said he had to attend to something at dusk. The sun was just setting, so we said goodbye to each other and then parted ways; Iroh to go find one of the fire nation generals and me to find Tai Lee. Oh I don't know if I'm ready for this…

Tai Lee had moved into the castle by Mai's request, and the request of the Fire Lord's girlfriend never goes unanswered. Tai Lee came eagerly, always ready to follow Mai. Now she served the palace as an entertainer and one of the most eligible bachelors. A lot of guys fell head over heels for her, but none really won her heart as of yet, as far as I knew. Most men met her and then thought she was crazy, then never talked to her again. I felt somewhat bad for her, but you know, she acts like she wants to be by herself. I walked through the seemingly same corridors of the Fire Nation Palace, turning down a different hallway. It looked like all these doorways and halls were the same, but they actually weren't. At the end of the hall I had turned, there was an ornate door with a vase full of flowers next to it. Tai Lee's Room, here I am. I sighed heavily and stepped up to the door, raising one hand up to knock on it.

The knocking seemed extremely loud in the quietness of the palace halls, but then again, I was probably exaggerating my annoyance at dealing with Tai Lee and her lack of fatigue. She opened the door and hugged me, she had just got back recently from Kiyoshi Island and was still wearing the warrior make up. I smiled at her. "Hi there, Katara! What brings you here?" Tai Lee's voice sounded even louder, and this time I wasn't exaggerating. She stepped aside and invited me to come in.

"Oh, no, I can't come in right now, I'm kinda rushed. I just wanted to ask you if you had any of that red make up left. I'm using it for something special tonight, but you can't tell a word to anyone in the palace, especially Mai." I said, hushing my voice. I put a finger to my lips with a smile on my face.

"Of course I do, Katara! I have a ton of it in my closet; hang on a sec, okay?" She spun around without a word and disappeared. I stood there for a sec, thinking about my strategy to get Zuko to come with me. She appeared again, with a container of the red liquid in her hand. She handed it to me and smiled, then turned me around and giggled.

"Don't get, caught, Katara!" She whisper screamed at me and rushed me off down the hall. The sound of the door shutting was oddly quiet. I stood there for a sec, and then smiled to myself. I knew where I was going to get a hat, and the gauze was easy enough; just use some of the gauze that was draped in my room next to my bed. It's not like anyone snuck into my room at night. As far as I knew anyway…

I almost sprinted through the hallways, seeing the stars starting to appear in the darkening sky. I slipped past a few guards near the entrance to the antique room, they were drunk anyway. I heard a bunch of drunken words mixed with one of the names of the female servants. What dogs men are! I swear I don't know why they were considered better than women, especially if they worshipped them. I crinkled my nose at the scent of alcohol as I disappeared into the room. Surely those two drunken idiots wouldn't notice a missing hat for a few hours. I grabbed it, slipped back out without a problem, and ran back to the hallway next to my room and finally into my room.

In the depths of my room's closet, I found the red-brown cloth and the thin rope that I used to fasten it to my body. It had been years since I had worn it, and now that I looked at myself in the full length mirror, I noticed how different it fit. Instead of just barely showing what curves I had three years ago, it now made me look like a woman, rather than the child I had been. I put the make up on carefully, remembering exactly how it looked for some odd reason. I could feel the moon pulling me, taunting me, begging me to water bend. The gauze went on last, draping over the hat and over my face. I arranged it just right so no one would know who I was. Now, it's time to go get Zuko. I stretched my body out before pushing the white cloth that covered my window out of the way. I hopped on top of the roof of the palace, using a thick mist around myself to not be seen by the guards, however drunk. Because even if they were drunk, they would still follow me and make a ruckus over the whole thing. My clothes made hardly a noise as I walked and almost glided across the roof, trying to think of the correct voice to use if anyone caught me.

The Fire Lord's quarters lay near the center of the palace, like the duck pond. I couldn't hear any yelling, so that was a plus. I stopped walking for a while and focused on the feel of water; which was near by. On top of the roof, I could feel someone right below me. I think it was Zuko, but I couldn't be sure. There wasn't anyone else in the room below, and Mai wasn't one to hang out alone in a room. Zuko was though. I dropped down into the garden and then through the window to Zuko's room. I let the mist dissipate and I saw Zuko pacing next to his bed, not even aware that I was in the room. I squared my shoulders and held myself proudly. "Zuko, my child, you are suffering." My voice sounded breezy and soft even to my ears.

Zuko's head snapped up and he looked at me; or, should I say, The Painted Lady. "Are you…" He sounded stressed and tired, but his eyes told of pent up energy and fire.

I nodded my head regally. "Yes, my dear child, I am The Painted Lady." I am so enjoying this. Zuko's eyes widened underneath his long hair as he stared at me.

"What do you want from me?" I heard him ask as I extended my hand out toward him, open for him to take.

"Come with me, child." I said with my hand still open for him.

His eyes were wide and almost distrustful of me. "How did you get past the guards anyway?"

I simply chuckled a little. "Your guards are not as observant when it comes to women wandering around." Zuko peered at me, but didn't seem to recognize me under the veil and the make up. He shrugged and sighed heavily before taking my hand, and I jumped out the window with him in tow. Now, it's time to tell him it's me. We were running on top of the palace silently; and I slowed to a stop, my breathing not in the least affected. He looked at me again, his bangs long and despite his being the Fire Lord, still somewhat messy.

"Iroh said you needed this, Zuko." I said quietly, pushing the veil away from my face. He stared at me for a moment, recognizing my voice, but not my face.

He gasped when he did. "Katara, is that really you?"

I nodded, I was pretty proud of myself. "Sure is. Are you up for a night of espionage and fun, Zuko?" He was still silent, so I patted his shoulder and smiled reassuringly at him. "Come on Zuko, you know you need this."

Then he did something totally unexpected. "I'll need a disguise first." The smirk on his face was way out of character. I rolled my eyes at him as my stomach curled in excitement. "Wait, I need to leave a note for Mai." Zuko stopped and dropped back into his room silently. I waited for a few moments before he reappeared at my side. I smiled and rolled my eyes again. I called the mist around us again and we began making our way above the city. The roofs of all of the noblemen's houses made almost no sound in the quiet evening while we ran across them. I could feel Zuko's presence next to me. We stopped at a shop near the center of the city, Zuko was being as quiet as possible; but I was bolder. I took a running start from one of the roofs toward the fountain, where a few lamps were lit, but no one was around. Zuko was already inside one of the buildings, looking for something no doubt. I kept running and finally leapt from the roof at the edge to the sculpture of Ozai, which had yet to be taken down. I soared through the air, searching the area for any people. From what I saw, there was no one. My feet touched the statue and I landed perfectly on Ozai's head. I sat down on it, letting the mist swirl below me and all around the plaza. Then I heard a noise. Oh well, it'll be fun anyway. I looked around again and saw a man walking slowly down the alley, his eyes turned toward me. Zuko appeared out from the window of the shop and looked at me like I was insane. His eyes were wide and he wore a black outfit and a black cloak that ran down to his ankles. The man kept walking toward me, his eyes full of awe. He was staggering slightly. I used the water from the fountain to lower myself from Ozai and in front of the man. The full moon illuminated the city quite prettily as it called to me, and I pulled some more mist to my body as I walked toward him. There was blood running down the side of his head and a long gash on his leg.

"The Painted Lady…" He murmured and knelt to the floor. I loved helping people, not having them grovel at my feet.

"Child, stand up." I said in the same voice I had used on Zuko. The man sighed and stood up painfully. I could see Zuko's eyes watching me carefully; the man had no idea that Zuko was there. I walked up to him and held my tan hands out toward his chest, and when I touched him, the bright light that accompanied healing lit up the plaza.

The man regarded me with awed eyes after I had healed him and he bowed before I sent him on his way. "Thank you, Painted Lady." Zuko walked up to me, his black cloak swishing.

"You sound more like a royal than I do, but you're totally insane." Zuko said to me. I smacked his shoulder.

"So where do you want to go now, my liege?" I made a show of bowing to him, snickering the whole time.

Zuko contemplated this for a moment, one hand on his chin. "How fast can you travel in one night, Katara?"

I smiled and looked up at the moon, pushing the veil out of the way for a moment as I watched it. "Depends on where you want to go." I smirked.

"It might take more than one night though, I must warn you." Then we both shot off at full speed toward the edge of the city. We both knew where we were going and why.

"Don't care. I needed this just as much as you did." I said as we ran through the quiet city, nothing but whispers of the wind to any other person. The city's edge appeared a few minutes later, but neither of us was tired yet. We kept on going down the mountain, using our bending to help us. It felt awesome to finally be running and bending; it reminded me of the old days. At the bottom of the mountain, we stopped for a few moments.

"We'll need a boat if we're going to do this." Zuko said as he sat down on a nearby rock.

"Why don't you just tell them you want one, Fire Lord?" I asked him, laughing breathlessly. I looked out at the docks and all the outposts. It would be hard to sneak past them, but if all else failed, it was also a full moon. Oh, yes; I needed this so badly it was hard to not rush off down to the docks. Even after all that running, I still had boundless energy left to do whatever I wanted. Zuko seemed to feel the same way as he paced some more, thinking.

"That'll work, I suppose." Zuko stopped to glance at me for a moment. "But I don't know if I want to do that." He grinned.

I shrugged. "Ready? We can get all the supplies we need from shops and such. We'll need new clothes; well, I will. You'll probably be fine." I said almost to myself as I drew mist around the both of us. "So what's our plan for getting past the docks?"

Zuko thought for a moment, then looked at me and grinned. "Why don't we just wing it and see how it goes?"

I smiled and then nodded. "It sounds good to me." Then I bolted down the hill and laughed out loud as Zuko tried to catch up to me. I looked back and saw his legs moving a mile a minute and he was slowly gaining on me as we neared the docks. Soon he was right up next to me. We ran at full speed through the port where a few guards saw us. "Ready Zuko?" I asked and grinned at him. He nodded tersely, a smile on his lips. I drew a cloud of mist so thick that no guard could get through it to us. I heard the alarm go off. I looked at Zuko. He shrugged, laughed, and kept running. I rolled my eyes and followed him as he set his sights on a ship not too far away. He jumped on, unhooked the rope that tied it, then climbed all the way to the top and let the sail free. I jumped on after him, my clothes billowing behind me in the moonlight. The guards stopped and shouted to other guards that controlled the turrets.

"Fire!" I heard a general shout; and then there was a rain of fireballs coming straight toward us. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins and I lifted a wall of water up to turn the fire balls into hot steam. I created another wall of water to push away from the docks a good couple hundred feet, and Zuko took control of the wheel. I started pushing water behind us, as much water as I could. I ended up soaking the guards on deck. I jumped up and climbed to the very top of the mast and stood there watching them as composed as I could get. Zuko hooted in excitement down at the wheel as we started our way to the Earth Kingdom.

End of Chapter One – Let's Have Fun.

A/N – Have fun? Ha-ha. Anyway… Tell me if any of my original "My Sanctuary" Readers are reading this, if you could. Thank you guys all so much! :]


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – Well.... let's see who reads this..... Haha. I wrote part of this up on a piece of notebook paper in September, and I just found it now.... . good job, me. I hope you guys like it, and if you want, go check out my other stories about Inuyasha and Kingdom Hearts 2. Haha, review, comment, message, whichever works for you. Ask questions if you have any! :DDD Here you go!

Chapter Two – Silent Isle.

I don't know what made me want to be all the way out here, with Zuko, of all people. Of course, I could have been out on the ocean with Tai Lee, and that's... well, that's just kinda creepy. Even to think about. Have you seen Tai Lee in the mornings? Not a pretty sight. Anyway, Zuko and I had been on the ocean for a couple hours now, but it was still dark. I wasn't tired. I looked out at the endless sea, wondering about... Ah, I dunno, life. It was really weird. Yeah, I know, sounds pretty cliché. But really. I'm seventeen. I don't really know what I'm going to do with my life. And I've hopefully got a long time ahead of me to do... whatever.

"Hey, Zuko!" I yelled down, seeing him at the wheel, standing silently as usual. I was on the lookout. Somewhat. I was kind of hanging upside down on a rope _near _the lookout. Eh, it's all the same. Besides, I was enjoying it.

Zuko glanced up, and quirked and eyebrow at me, and my hair falling all around my head like a mane. "What are you doing?" He asked. I laughed at him. It's a good thing I wore shorts. Especially under that Painted Lady getup. That skirt got so annoying after a while.

"I'm having fun. Unlike you, you spoil sport. By the way, who's gonna take care of the Fire Nation while you're gone?" It seemed kind of dumb to run away without leaving a back up plan, but I knew Zuko. He always has a back up plan. And just between you and me, I don't like the idea of leaving Mai in control of the country. She might act like she doesn't want to be with Zuko, and she probably doesn't, but her place in society as Fire Lord's girlfriend would give her some higher chance at gaining the throne in Zuko's absence. She had a surprisingly cunning and dark mind, and even though Zuko likes to think the dark side of her is something beautiful. Her cunning should be kept on a close watch. I just don't trust her. She's always walking around like she's doing something wrong.

Zuko took me out of my reverie. He'd smiled. "Iroh." he blinked. "Who else?"

I made a 'whoot' noise. "Alright, Zuko!" I swung across the ropes until I made it to the wheel without incident. I punched his shoulder lightly. Yeah, sometimes I act like a guy. Deal with it. "High five!"

He rolled his eyes and stuck his hand in the air. I smacked it enthusiastically, and he smiled. "You wanna check the ropes for the sails for me? I doubt I'm part monkey like you."

I stuck my tongue out, but nodded, standing stick straight and saluting him. "Aye aye, captain!" He snorted. I laughed lightly and jumped back onto one of the ropes, swinging up to the mast and then climbing, feeling like a pirate slash monkey thing. I checked the ropes that held the sails, finding they were taught. When we'd gotten a safe distance from the main Fire Nation port, Zuko had made quick work of the lamps, and now they hung beautifully all over the ship. There was a lighter blue on the horizon now. I loved mornings, especially if I was awake for them. I liked watching the sun rise and the moon set. Or the other way around. The moon always made me feel more powerful at night, even if it was just a sliver. As I jumped from the rope onto the deck, I remembered that I was still wearing my costume. Man. "I'm gonna check the spare room for any clothes, alright?" I called to Zuko.

He nodded, then paused. "Wait, I brought some for you. I didn't think you'd think past anything besides tonight." Zuko laughed when I frowned and stuck my tongue out at him again. Figure Zuko to do that.

"Thanks, Zuko." He tossed me the clothes, still smirking. I raised an eyebrow and placed them on the deck for a moment. I needed to get all this silly make up off. So, I started running. Right up to the side of the ship, onto the railing, and then off into the water below. It was freezing. But it felt amazing; I could feel all the water around me, I could shape it to do what I wanted. When I surfaced I saw Zuko leaning over the edge of the railing, his face bright against the dark half light of morning.

"Katara!" He called, sighing heavily when he saw me. I bended the water so I landed on the deck, relishing in the feeling. He was shaking his head at me as I wrung out my hair. "What were you doing?"

"Just getting rid of all that makeup. I didn't want it on my face anymore." I said bluntly, shrugging with amusement.

"Why not just use some of the water in the bunk?" He asked, smiling slightly.

"Didn't seem very fun at the time." Shrugged again. The water seemed like more fun, and a better idea.

"You've changed since we met, you know that?" Zuko's eyes roamed my face, his eyes almost searching. I knew what he meant. Yeah, I'd changed a whole lot since I was with Aang, but I was still me. I know I still cared a lot about other people. My ideals hadn't changed. Just... my character maybe? Two whole years had passed.

"How so?" I asked, still pondering. I could see what Iroh meant about Zuko needing this. Even now, he was more relaxed, smiled easier. Mai and the Fire Nation had really taken a toll on him. While we were at the castle, he always looked so stressed out and tired; but now he looked alive. For lack of a better word. Besides, Mai really didn't help him being alive with all her darkness and emo behavior. Sometimes they say 'birds of a feather flock together'. I don't really think that's good for Zuko. He needed something to keep him positive. Tai Lee really couldn't count, because she was just a little too positive, if you know what I mean. Maybe he has to wait for 'that girl' to come along. I mentally snorted. Of course, I've thought about Zuko and I... But I doubt it will ever happen. There's just... something... I don't know. I hurt my head when I think about it. He was just my friend, and I'm okay with that.

"Well... Something about you. You're not the same as when we met." He thought for a moment, jerking me yet again out of my thoughts. I blinked as he searched for words. "You seem less... restrained. But then again, when we first met... When we joined forces, you wanted to kill me even though I was on your side." He laughed, and I smiled as I looked back on that rough first few days.

"I can't believe I threatened your life because of Aang." I snorted and shook my head.

Zuko was quiet for a moment. "Do you ever think about going back? To your home, I mean. Or somewhere else?" His fingers wrapped around the wheel.

I blinked, bemused. "Of course. I do a lot of the time. Sometimes I miss home, sometimes I miss all the places I've stayed. Sometimes the people." I fingered the necklace at my throat as I gazed distantly at the sky, which was slowly becoming lighter. "But, I think I'm happy at the Fire Nation Palace. As long as you'll let me stay." I looked at him, and he seemed deep in thought.

"What makes you think I wouldn't?" Zuko looked a little distant too.

"I dunno, I just figure that Mai really doesn't want me here." I laughed lightly. She'd never liked me, not even before she was with Zuko.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "If she wanted you gone, I wouldn't let her. I've fought alongside you too many times to let anything like that happen." he tilted his head. "Aren't you a princess?"

I groaned. "Ahhh, yeah. I really don't want to be. Too much glamor for people you don't know."

Zuko nodded. "It's not as bad as you would think."

"Plus, I kinda like the heat here. For now, anyway." I glanced at him sideways, his hair down in front of his eyes. He smiled.

"I can't stand cold; it makes my skin dry up, and my hair gets split ends so easily." The effeminate tone in his voice was undeniable, and he flipped his hand in a weird way. I started giggling. He started laughing. Soon we were crying we were laughing so hard.

"That.. was so.... gay..." I said, laughing.

We slowly recovered ourselves, but I stopped completely when I heard a weird sounding whistle. In the early, early dawn, I could make out fog in the distance, but nothing else. I listened carefully, and looked in question at Zuko. "Was that you?" We'd both asked. His fingers gripped the wheel tighter when the whistle sounded again. I listened harder again, trying to distinguish the tune. I knew I'd heard it before. I kept listening, while Zuko just stayed silent next to me.

"Where is that coming from?" I asked him. He frowned, putting a finger to his lips. His eyes narrowed. The whistle kept fading in and out of existence, but I put enough together to make sense of it. It was a tune that Aang would hum or whistle all the time. I remembered now, but it didn't make sense at all. Why would a whistle be going off in the middle of the ocean, much less a song coming from a human. I looked at Zuko again, confused.

"We've gone a little to far West. That whistling you hear, it's from Silent Isle." Zuko said, sounding chilled.

"Yeah, but that doesn't explain the whistling!" The fact that noise was coming from a place with 'silent' in the name was bad enough. "Why?" I asked.

He paused. "You've never heard of Silent Isle before?" I blinked, and that seemed to be answer for him. "The Silent Isle is an old abandoned Air Society, the first victims of the war that the Fire Nation began. You can understand why; the island itself isn't far from the center of the Fire Nation." Zuko looked at me, turning the wheel slightly. "Best to start from the beginning, huh. Well, that particular Air Society was not only the oldest, but the most prone to violence. Their monks were trained to fight well, and most respected their boundaries enough not to trifle with them. That's until we came along. They were a proud and thriving race. But when we invaded, the Air Nomads fought back with such a force that they put a large dent in the Fire Nation forces. So when we came back to finally conquer them, they were ready. All fought to the end. Many Fire Nation and Air Nomad warriors were lost. But before the leader of the Air Nomads fell, the leader, Yun Heng, he fought until he had lost half of his blood, and he was surrounded. When a soldier, Chang, struck the final blow, everything fell silent. Dead silent. Not even the waves, nor the animals, anything. All the noise had stopped. The soldiers deserted the island, and only a few recorded people have visited the island and come back; and not all were sane. The warrior, Chang, was forever hailed as a hero, but legend says that he went insane from voices in his head and the 'wailing winds'.

Every ship that has even dropped anchor anywhere near the island, or just sailed by, has reported seeing visions, hearing things, hallucinating, and especially the fog that forever surrounds the island. It's a symbol of bad luck to come across this island if you're a sailor, or even just someone who's passing by. Usually something happens to the people aboard." Zuko paused to look at me. This was starting to freak me out, if even just slightly. The whistle had sounded only a few times during his explanation.

"Wait. You make it sound like no one's mapped this place, and that it just shows up in random places. How can that be?" I remembered what Aang had told us about the giant lion turtle, who acted as an island himself, but moved and shifted so that no one knew of his presence.

"That's because no one has. The Fire Nation are a very superstitious people. That, and the fact that the island doesn't seem to be in the exact same place as people map it out to be. It confuses people. Now, the hallucinating. Most of the people who report it tell of seeing what the Nomads saw: Fire Nation warriors in century-old uniforms coming at them with fire and ruthless cruelty. When they wake up, usually others would find them screaming. Some have even inflicted pain upon themselves. The strangest out of all of this, but probably the most terrifying in a way that these spirits can see, hear, and understand, is that the spirits only attack those of the Fire Nation, especially benders. Earth Kingdom ships report the island, but only hearing things. No hallucinations. Water Tribe reports, no hallucinations. No Air Nomad reports. No air bender has dared go there. The fall of their mother city would have been too strong a blow." Zuko stared out the lightening sky, his eyes rooted to the fog they were slowly approaching on. I really didn't want to go there. It's not that I don't believe in spirits or ghosts, but the reports for this place were just all too real. Too bad for me, I suppose. Because that's where we were headed. Damn.

"Do we have to go there?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"C'mon. You won't get hurt. Besides, I'm pretty sure you can take care of yourself if something happens to me." The scary thing was, it probably wasn't an 'if' situation. He was the great grandson of the man who began the war himself, for crying out loud! Why wouldn't anyone come after him, especially a Fire Nation hating spirit? The whistle got louder against the soft waves on the ship. I felt a shiver go down my back. I glared at Zuko.

"Sometimes I wonder about your sanity, you know that? Naw, I won't get hurt. Just see things that aren't there, and hear things from more than a hundred years ago. And you might just have some slight hallucinations. Have a nice day!" I said, smiling brightly, then hit his shoulder.

"Ow... And sometimes I wonder where your adventure went." He countered, raising an eyebrow.

"It ran away after you said 'You've never heard of Silent Isle'." I said, grumbling. Woo-hoo. Scary ghost island, here I come. Gr. He snorted, turning the wheel. The eerie whistle grew louder and louder until it sounded like it was coming from right next to me. The hair on my arms, the back of my neck, even my skull, raised. I shuddered, and Zuko's knuckles on the wheel turned white, and his face drained of color. Silent Isle was now a fog covered blob, just identifiable as an Island. An unearthly, foggy, haunted blob. Bah. Something caught the edge of my hearing, so I looked to Zuko, thinking it was him speaking quietly. Except he was looking at me in the same way. It sounded like a howl. Or a wail of some kind. I really didn't want to know either way.

"You heard that, ri—oh." I was asking, but he had put a finger to his lips to shush me. I stayed quiet and listened, staring at the island. It was getting closer slowly. I realized I was still wearing wet clothes. "I'm going to go change now..." Zuko nodded. I slipped away, grabbing the clothes that were lying on the deck, and went into the cabin, changing clothes quickly. I wasn't about to leave Zuko out there by himself for very long, if at all. But I wasn't about to change in front of him either. Hm. They were Fire Nation clothes, but I didn't mind too terribly. As long as there were pants, oh yes. I hated fighting in skirts, and even though I doubted I'd be fighting anyone that was solid, there was still a chance. I didn't want to risk it. He'd brought the greaves for my legs and arms. Sweet. I love my greaves. They're awesome. And they made me feel less princess-y.

"Zuko...." Someone called. I ran out of the bunk, slamming the door behind me and shooting up to the wheel. A wail ripped the early morning peace, coming from the Island. Zuko stood, pale faced. His knuckles were white against the wheel as he stood as straight as a board; his hair hanging in his eyes. We both knew that voice didn't come from me.

"Are you alright?" I stepped closer to him.

"He's a fire bender, pure one. You need not go near his filth." A voice whispered into my ear. I disregarded it, and placed my hand on his shoulder.

He blinked, glancing toward me and shaking his head, as if to clear it. I gave him a smile, patted his shoulder and took a step back. This trip sure was taking longer than I thought it would take. There was a lot to do. A lot of people to see, speak with, and fight. Maybe even talk to Aang since that day. He'd tried to send me letters. Apologies. Once he'd figured out where I ran off to, anyway. I read through them, but I didn't really care much for them. Instead I'd listened to Iroh and the other generals have music night. It made me smile. Another weird whistling tune interrupted, and I glanced out at the island, my eyes squinting at the wind buffeting my face.

"How do the Spirits make noise if it's called Silent Isle?"

"The island is dead quiet." Zuko was staring at the island, far away in the distance. The sun still shone, but it was going to be a very long day. I wasn't looking forward to it. Spirits,a Freaky Fire Nation boy who has a morbid fascination with said spirits, and an Air Society I had no idea about. Oh jeez. I glared at Zuko again.

"What? This whole thing was your idea." he said.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

End of Chapter Two – Silent Isle.

A/N – Well, here you go. I hope you guys like it. :DDDD Review & Message for any questions. :) See you next chapter!


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